Improvement in rotary engines



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. B. DAVIS. Rotary-Engine. No. 214,372. Patented April 15,1879.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. B. DAVIS. Rotary-Engine.

No. 214,372. Patented April 15, 1879.

jimi/Ziyi N. PEI'ERSA FHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTUN, D C.

8 Sheets-Sheet 3.

S. B. DAVIS. Rotary-Enginxe. No. 214,372. Patenfed April 15,1879.

jUN/ITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL B. DAVIS, OF HAMBURG, IOWA, ASSIGNOB TO HIMSELF AFD GEORGE SPBOUL.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,372, dated April 15, 1879; application filed February 24, 1879.

To all whom it may concern.'

Beit known that I, SAMUEL B. Davis, of Hamburg, in the State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a rotary engine, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

ln order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is an end elevation Fig. 2, a side view; Fig. 3, a central vertical section Fig. 4, a vertical cross-section; and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are details of parts of my invention.

A represents a cylindrical casing of any suitable dimensions, provided with heads A1 A1, fastened to the casing by bolts. The casing A is provided with a central diaphragm or partition, A2, which divides the casing into two cylindrical chambers, As A3. In each of these chambers is placed a circular disk or wheel, B, of smaller diameter than the diameter of the cham ber, and from said disk or wheel projects a piston, B', which has packing a inserted in its end, and extends to the walls or circumference of the cb amber.

The two circular disks or wheels B B are keyed or otherwise permanently secured to a central shaft, G-that is to say, the disks are so secured that the shaft must rotate with them; but when either head is removed the wheel in that chamber can be lifted off.

The central diaphragm, A2, of the casing A is formed with a shallow annular recess, b, of smaller diameter than the disk or wheel B on each side, and in a recess in the inner face of each hea-d A is inserted a circular plate, D2, having a similar recess, d. It will therefore be seen that the wheel B is not in contact with metal, except for a short space near the edge, thus lessening the friction.

The plates D2 in the heads A1 are set up by means of set-screws e e, in order to form comparatively tight joints between the wheel and the metal on both sides, while the steam, however, will enter the recesses b d and form a steam lubricant for the wheel, causing it to run smooth and easy.

On top of the casing A is a valve-box, D, into which the steam is admitted through the pipe E, and in which is situated the valve F, for starting, stopping, and reversing the engine. This valve-boxDcommunicates,through a port, f, on each side, with other valve-boxes, Dl D, containing the cut-off valves F' F.

Each valve-box Dl communicates, by means of two pipes or channels, G G, with the two chambers A3 A3 of the casing, the entrance of each pipe into its respective chamber beingin a recess made in the casing, and over such entrance in said recess is hunga valve, I, which is actuated by a spring, fi, to close the entrance when no steam passes through the pipe G. The valve I and spring z' are so arranged as to be out of the way of the piston B when no steam passes through the pipe G; but when steam is admitted through the pipe G the valve is by the steam thrown outward against the periphery ofthe wheel B, and then forms also an abutment for the steam, to cause it to act against the piston B' and rotate the wheel in the proper direction.

The valves F F are cylindrical in form, and the valve F is simply cut out as shown at IL, so that by turning the valve the steam may be admitted through either port f into either of the valve-boxes D', or may be shut otf from both. On one end ofthe valve F is a lever or handle, H, for turning the. valve either directly at this point or by suitable connections from any point desired.

Each valve F is provided with two ports, m m, and two passages, n n, as shown, to admit the steam from the port f into either of the pipes G G, and upon one end of each valve is a crank or arm, J, connected by a pitman, K, with an eccentric, L, secured on the shaft O.

The valve F being set so as to admit the steam into one valve-box, D1, the steam passes through one of the pipes G on that side into the corresponding chamber A3, the valve I being by the steam opened and thrown against the peripher \v ot' thv whvvl I in that vhanibvr, and the stvaln opt-rating'against thv piston l causes said whvvl anti thv shat't t to rotatv.

By means ot' thv vvvvntriv Land its vonnvetion with thv ralrv 1"', thv stvatn is at thv proper time vut ott t'roni thv pipv (i through which it. was vntvringg. antl atlniittvtl through the other pipv (l on the sante sitlv into thc other chamber A, to avt in the salnv lnanncr on the valve anti piston thvrvin.

It; will bv svvn that thv valvvs I arv vlosvtl as soon as the stvani is vnt ott' t'roni their rvspective pipvs by thvirsprings i, and niorvtl out ofthe way ot' thv pistons Il', thas` preventing any blows on thv valves b r saitl pistons.

T0 reverse thv vngrinv it isonl \v nvvvssary to turn the valve l-` so as to shut otll thv stvanl from the tirst \'al\'vbox 1) and atbnit it into the other, whvn thv valves I on that sitlv will come into play in thv saine nrannvr.

M M alv thv exhausts.

Having;r thns folly tlvsvribvtl my inrvntion, what I elann as nvw, antl tlvsire to svvnrv by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rotary vngrinv, thv vas-ingV A Al, hav ing Central diaphragm, A?, forming; twocbalnbvrs, A3 A3, the shaft C, Wheels B B, with pistons l', antl valve-boxesDDD, with their rvspvctivv valves and pipes, all combined substantiall)Y as and for the purposes herein sei; forth.

L. In a rotary engine, the combination of cirvnlar plates 1)?, formed with the recess d, and :nl instvtl in the head A1, With wheel B, svt-screws w v, and recessed diaphragm A2, all constrtwtvd and arranged to operate substautially as and for thv purposes set'J forth.

:L In a rotar \'en; rine, the combination of the valve-box l), with portsEff, the valve-boxes Dl, pipes (l, valve F, with opening h, and the valve 1*", with ports m m and passages n n, substantially as und for the purposes herein svt forth.

1n testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I at'tx my signature in presence of two \\'itnvssvs.

bis S. B. DAVIS.

mark.

t?. Il. WYNN, 1I. M. SrRoL'L. 

